Making the most of what you have

There’s simply far too much evidence of the Lord’s hand in this for me to not be optimistic. Think about this… I worked for a company that built real estate software. Real estate was the hardest hit sector in the economic downturn. But I lasted there for just the perfect amount of time…

1. We got all our health issues cleared up. Alex’ two week stay in the hospital. I had 3 sleep studies, a septoplasty and turbinate reduction surgery, followed by a uvulopaletopharyngoplasty and partial midline glossectomy surgery to cure my sleep apnea. The recovery for the latter surgery was 4 weeks, which was, to the day, the exact day I was laid off. In other words, I got all my expensive sleep surgeries done, and recovered while fully insured with a great job. I had just recovered, which means that now I have full energy to pursue my dreams.

2. The startup plans I have in mind I’ve been wanting to pursue for years, but particularly this last year it has really, really been eating at me. Interestingly, just the week prior to being laid off, I was working with my neighbor on his roof when he asked how my work was going. I had expressed that it was fine (little did I know), but that I actually wouldn’t mind leaving and starting my own thing, but I just couldn’t bring myself to make that decision and take that risk. Suddenly, almost exactly one week later, the decision is made for me, leaving me completely free (and highly motivated) to pursue my dreams.

3. The other problem with trying to start your own gig are the startup costs. One is hardware… my boss let me keep my computer, and the tools that I’d used, which meant that I had no hard startup costs for equipment to start my own thing. He also gave me a great severance, which will easily last 5 months. If I’d have quit to start my own thing, I’d have had to get a business loan, for nearly the exact amount that I was given as severance. In other words, the money I needed, as well as the time I needed, was just handed to me. There’s nothing tremendously out of the ordinary about a vice president who has worked for a company for 8 years getting a good severance package, but the timing of everything puts it beyond coincidence in my mind.

There are actually numerous other details that would require far more context than you have interest, so I’ll spare you the saga. Needless to say, I’ve truly acknowledged the Lords hand in all this, and for that, I am grateful. It’s rare that you can face adversity with a clear perspective as to the blessing it so typically disguises. But in all honesty, I can actually say that when I left my office that Friday after being let go, my predominant thought was relief (that the decision was made for me), and enthusiasm for the opportunity to pursue my dreams. So clear was the path to me, that before I even got home, I pulled over into a parking lot, and thanked the Lord in prayer for blessing me with such a marvelous transitional setup.

In short, I truly believe what this post was about (even though I spoke only specifically about turning an ugly garage into a workable office), it applies on a much larger scale. Rather than sulking around, worrying about losing a job in this economy, I’m cognizant of the beautiful pieces of opportunities that surround me, and can’t wait to put them together into something real and meaningful.

It’s an incredibly exciting time for me. There are very few circumstances in life, if any, that can’t be turned into positive experiences that propel us forward in meaningful ways. Of this I am sure.

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